Fastener for expandable loose leaf binder



Jan. 15, 1963 F. s. SCHADE 3,

FASTENER FOR EXPANDABLE LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed 001;- 7, 1959 INVENTOR.FRANK STANLEY SCI/ADE ATTOR/V'YS United States 3,073,315 Patented Jan.15, 1963 assignor to Na- Holyoke, Mass, a cor- This invention relates toexpandable loose leaf binders and particularly to fasteners for securingloose sheets in book-page relation.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improvedfastener for loose leaf binders which is separate and distinct from thebinder cover members and which may be manufactured and soldindependently of the cover members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fastener element forloose leaf binders which can be fitted over the binding strip portion ofthe binder cover at any point along its length for securely and neatlyclamping the free ends of a flexible post member against the bindingstrip regardless of the length of the post member.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fastener element forloose leaf binders of simple and inexpensive construction.

The above and other objects and advantages of this invention will beapparent from the following description with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an expandable loose leaf binderembodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the fastening element shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is elevation partly in section of the back of a binder showing analternative invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, an expandable loose leaf binder isshown in FIG. 1 in which a plurality of sheets 6 are bound together inbook-page relation between a pair of cover members 8 and 10. The sheets6 include a plurality of holes of perforations 11 along their marginaledge portions by which the sheets may be tracked through businessmachines. The cover members include binding strip portions 12 betweenwhich the perforated marginal edge portions of the sheets 6 arecaptured. Front and back cover panels 13 are hinged to the marginalbinding strips by crease lines 14. A post member or wire 16 extendsthrough spaced perforations 11 in the marginal edge portions of thesheets 6 and through holes 18 in the binding strips registered wi h thespaced perforations. The post member 16 is stifily flexible enabling itsfree end portions to be easily threaded through the perforations in astack of sheets and bent downwardly toward the outer surface of thebinding strip 12. A fastening element or clip 20 clamps the free endportion of the post member against the binding strip.

The post member 16 isof circular cross section and is preferably in theform of a flexible metal wire 21 having a smooth plastic cover orcoating 22. The plastic coating reduces wear and tear on the sheets bythe insertion and removal of the post from the sheet perforations. Inaddition, the plastic coating prevents the metallic wire from rustingand eliminates the possibility of cutting or nicking the hands on anunraveled thread of the metal wire. As shown in FIG. 1, a single postmember may be employed in binding the sheets 6, in which case the freeends of the wire extend outwardly of the same bindmethod of practicingthis 20. Alternatively, two lengths of wire 16 may be used as shown inFIG. 5, in which case the free ends of each wire extend outwardly ofopposite sides of the binder. Each wire requires two clips 20 to secureits free ends to the front and back binding strips 12.

The fastener 29 is a generally U-shaped metal clip comprising a lowerplate 24 and an upper plate 26 disposed in spaced superposed relation tothe lower plate. At the outer or open edge of the clip the upper plateincludes a along the length of portion 28 which extends outwardly indiverging relation to the lower plate 24. The diverging relation of theouter portions of the clip provides an entry angle a facilitatingplacement of the clip around the edge portion of the binding strip. Theupper plate includes an inner portion 29 which is disposed in convergingrelation to the lower plate when the clip is in an unflexed condition,as shown in FIG. 3. Intermediate the converging and diverging portions,the upper plate includes a curved portion 30 which provides the recessfor receiving the binding wire or post member 16. As shown in thedrawings, this curved portion of the clip is cylindrical conforming withthe cross section of the wire. In its unflexed condition, the distancebetween the upper surface portion of the recess and the opposite surfaceportion of the lower plate 24' is less than the sum of the diameter ofthe post member 16 and the thickness of the binding strip 12. Thus, asthe clip is fitted over the edge of the binding strip with the postmember 16 disposed in the recess, the outer plate of the clip Zil isflexed outwardly and firmly clamps the post member 16 against the uppersurface of the binding strip. e

As shown in FIG. 4, opposite edges of the clips curved portion 30 areflared outwardly as indicated at 32, facilitating insertion of the postmember 16 into the recess of the clip.

It will be readily appreciated that the fastener clips 20 may be fittedaround the binding-strips 12 at any point the strip at which it isdesirable to clamp the free ends of the post members to the strip. Thus,where the free ends of the post members are relatively long, they can beclamped at or adjacent to their outer ends. As the sheet pack increasesin size and the free end portions of the post member 16 decreases in ingstrip and may be secured thereto by a pair of clips length, the clips2%) can be moved outwardly toward the holes 18 to clamp the ends of thepost member against the binding strip.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

An expandable post binder for loose sheets having perforated marginaledge portions comprising at least one binding strip having openingsregistrable with perforations of said sheets, a stiffly flexible rodmember of generally circular cross section threaded through saidperforations and registered openings and having at least one of itsterminal endportions extending outwardly of said binding strip, andmeans clamping said terminal end against the surface of said bindingstrip, said clamping means comprising a spring metal clamp slidable onsaid rod member and fitted over an edge portion of said binding strip,said clamp being structurally discrete from said binding strip and rodenabling said rod to be clamped against said binding strip at any pointcoextensive with the length of the terminal end portion of said rod,said clamp having spaced opposed upper and lower plate portions, theupper plate portion including a downwardly opening, rod-receivingchannel extending from end-to-end thereof, the maximum distance betweenthe inner surface of said channel and the opposed portion of the lowerplate being not greater than the diameter of said rod and the thicknessof said binding strip.

(References on following page) a References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cornell June 12, 1892 Maltby Sept. 8, 1908Cardy Feb. 22, 1916 Benson Oct. 20, 1925 Doughty et al. July 19, 1927 4Ryan Ian. 3, 1928 Brown Mar. 5, 1929 Gadke Ian. 31, 1933 Flora Nov. 15,1955 Gould Apr. 10, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France Oct. 17, 1921

